Rapid E-learning can Transform Sales Training, says Kineo

A Harvard Business Review this summer demonstrates that sales people are having a tough time. Buyers have more info than ever before on rapidly changing products and companies have a hard job keeping their sales staff up to speed. Rapid e-learning is ideally placed to support these needs, reports Kineo in an article this month.

The Harvard Review found that:

ï 85% of companies report increases in product line breadth and complexity.

ï 62% say it takes more than 7 months to get a sales person up to speed.

ï The ratio of sales support staff to sales staff has fallen, meaning sales staff have to be more self sufficient.

ï Buyers have more info than ever before on rapidly changing products and companies have a hard job keeping their sales staff up to speed.

Dr. Matt Fox of Kineo examined the area of sales training and identified some key opportunities for rapid e-learning.

Rapidly changing product lines, increasing complexity and more savvy clients is a challenge but is training the answer? ìImproved support and training is key, but only if it is provided at the right time (on time) and where it is most neededî, notes Fox.

How can rapid e-learning support the sales team? In this monthís article, Kineo shares some easy to implement ideas, including:

ï Using rapid e-learning and pre-prepared templates to keep sales up to date with product and market updates with minimal development effort.

ï A quick podcast or online classroom session from a product champion to rapidly disseminate positioning statements, USPs or common objections.

ï Really Simple Syndication (RSS) links to the desk top to deliver just in time product and pricing updates or success tactics.

To enable training teams to harness the potential of these and other approaches, itís time to take a fresh look at rapid e-learning. Kineo will shortly launch a new rapid e-learning service, providing the most extensive range of tools, resources and support services available anywhere on rapid e-learning. Watch for more announcements in the coming weeks.